Chevy Cruze
By admin on Jan 25, 2012 in Uncategorized
Chevrolet needed a hit. Once the world’s largest automaker, General Motors had been struggling and seemed to be on a downward spiral with no end in sight. Because GM couldn’t rely on American buyers alone to bring about a change in its fortunes, it went global. Thus, the Cruze came into existence.
Built as a joint project between many of General Motors’ branches around the world, the Cruze is what GM is calling a “world car.” The broad development program shows in the Cruze’s ability to keep up with the competitors in the hyper competitive compact-car class. Perennial contenders like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Volkswagen Jetta and Ford Focus would not be easy to beat.
Critical acclaim has come from around the world, including a car of the year award from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada. After a week in the Cruze, I’m beginning to see why it has garnered so much attention.
In a segment with so much emphasis placed on low cost and high economy, the Cruze is right in the mix of things with its competitors. It’s not a significant standout in any one department, but manages to consistently rate above average.
The Cruze’s 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder lands in the middle of Energuide’s ratings. At 9.2 L/100 km city and 5.6 highway, my LT tester wasn’t breaking records, nor was it calling in the environmentalists.
For those wanting to be even more environmentally conscious, the Eco model offers a variety of low-air resistance body modifications and low-rolling-resistance 17-inch tires, but deleted equipment such as the spare tire (a can of tire sealant sits in its place), some of the sound-deadening material, centre armrest and centre rear head restraint and, most annoyingly, cruise control. The changes equate to a 7.2/4.6 city/highway rating with a six-speed manual transmission that features a taller final than the regular manual does, easily rating best in class.
The marquee piece, thought, is the 1.4L. Turbocharging is making a comeback in North America, but these engines are nothing like people will remember from the 1980s. Technology has brought fuel delivery and ignition systems a long, long way, not to mention the updates in the turbochargers themselves.
Despite a touch of turbo lag, the Cruze’s power comes on quickly and smoothly, with 148 pound-feet of peak torque at 1,850 r.p.m. That’s small diesel response off the line, although the peak numbers aren’t quite as high.
What that translates into on the road is a slight hesitation as you tip into the throttle from a stoplight, followed by a smooth, consistent pull all the way to highway speed, which is where the Cruze performs best. The compact Chevrolet rides more like a mid-sized car once at speed. Quiet and comfortable, only the biggest bumps will upset the car and remind you you’re driving something with a short wheelbase.
Despite the turbo, the Cruze is a bit slower to reach 100 km/h than the Civic and Mazda3 are, but I expect we’ll see Chevrolet narrowing that gap in the future by squeezing a bit more boost into that 1.4L. Space was also a big consideration, as the Cruze offers great head- and legroom up front.
